PUDUKKOTTAI: Former minister and Thirumayam DMK MLA S Regupathy on Saturday said he had urged the then chief minister M K Stalin to name TVK leader C Joseph Vijay as the accused in the case relating to the Karur incident, but Stalin had taken a humanitarian view as Vijay had only started a political party at that time.
“We too said Vijay should be included as the first accused in the case,” Regupathy said, alleging that Vijay had arrived late for the event and later sang and danced atop a bus “like in a cinema”, triggering a crowd surge.
Addressing media persons after a DMK protest in Pudukkottai against Vijay’s remarks on Stalin’s imprisonment under the MISA, Regupathy said he had made the recommendation while serving as law minister.
Stalin, however, had decided against pursuing the case against Vijay, considering that he was an actor who had just entered politics, he said.
The remarks come against the backdrop of VCK leader Thirumavalavan’s comments in Dharampuri on Friday that he had insisted on registering a case against Vijay over the Karur stampede. Stating that the stampede occurred because of Vijay reaching the campaign spot late, Thirumavalavan said that they (DMK government) should have booked everyone.
Regupathy accused Vijay of lacking humanity and criticised him for presenting charge sheets in the Assembly as though they were court verdicts. He said charge sheets had been filed against him as well, but he had been acquitted in all those cases.